Last week at Mix11 we announced several updates to the services and offers for the Windows Azure Platform.

To support these announcements, the Windows Azure Platform team also released several new content resources.

Windows Azure Platform Training Kit April 2011 Update

The April 2011 Update of the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit is now available. The Windows Azure Platform Training Kit includes hands-on labs, presentations, and samples to help you understand how to build applications that utilize Windows Azure, SQL Azure, and the Windows Azure AppFabric.

This is a significant update of the kit that includes several new and updated hands-on labs. Some of the new/updated content includes:

New Hands On Labs for Windows Azure Traffic Manager

New Hands On Labs for SQL Azure Reporting

New Hands On Labs for Windows Phone 7 and the Access Control Service

Updated Hands On Labs for Windows Azure Connect Refresh

Updated Hands On Labs for CDN Refresh

Updated Access Control Hands On Labs

Updated Service Bus Hands On Labs for the Service Bus portal update

The setup scripts for all hands-on labs have also been updated to use the Windows Azure SDK 1.4 release and to support VS 2010 SP1.

Microsoft is also continuing to publish the hands-on labs directly to MSDN to make it easier for developers to review and use the content without having to download an entire training kit package. You can browse to all of the Hands On Labs here: http://bit.ly/WAPCourse.

Windows Azure Accelerator for Umbraco

During Scott Guthrie’s keynote on Day #1 at Mix11, Niels Hartvig the founder of Umbraco also talked about Windows Azure. Umbraco is a very popular open source, .NET-based CMS application that is powering over 85K sites today. In the keynote, Niels talked about how Umbraco has been working with the Windows Azure Platform to provide it as an option for running Umbraco sites.

Niels Hartvig announced the Windows Azure Accelerator for Umbraco and also showed an example of Umbraco’s next major release, which will have integrated support for Windows Azure.

This accelerator is designed to make it very easy to deploy an Umbraco application quickly to Windows Azure. The accelerator includes a step-by-step guide, scripts, and a simple deployment tool to make it easy to get started.

I would also recommend watching this 7 minute screencast created by Umbraco.

In addition to the keynote presence at Mix11, Microsoft also had three sessions where Umbraco, DotNetNuke, and Kentico all talked about how they are enabling Windows Azure for their apps. You can find a list of these specific sessions and learn more about running CMS applications on Windows Azure from this new page on WindowsAzure.com.

Microsoft are happy to announce the release of the new Photosynth app for mobile panorama creation and sharing.

The Photosynth app is a significant step forward in mobile imaging technology.

The Photosynth app allows you to capture 360° panoramas in all directions (up, down, left, and right) and create spectacular images that our competition simply cannot achieve. With the latest in computer vision techniques, developed in concert with Microsoft Research, Photosynth focuses on making creation easy and fun with a wealth of sharing options.

The Photosynth Apps has a number of sharing models including the ability to share images directly to Facebook. Additionally the App has deep ties into Photosynth.net for sharing interactive panorama experiences.

What is really exciting for HE is the Photosynth App has the opportunity for users to now “Publish to Bing Maps”, making their panoramas eligible to show up on both the map (with the Photosynth map app) and directly on an associated University Intranet and Web pages.

Here’s an introductory video that covers the app:

Key Features:

See your panorama take shape as you capture them with Interactive Capture

UK Tech Days 2011 are running for the following

Building and deploying applications onto the Windows Azure Platform for cloud computing, 23rd May, repeated on 24th May, London

This day is about getting you up to speed on why you should be looking at the Windows Azure Platform, what tools and services it offers and how you can start to explore it to create new solutions, migrate elements of existing solutions or integrate with existing systems.

Also, as part of the Tech Days series, there are 6 Windows Azure Bootcamps in the UK.

So if you are a academic looking to take advantage of cloud computing, but you haven’t yet taken the plunge, this free half-day of training is the quickest way to get up-to-speed with Microsoft’s offering; Windows Azure. We’ll take you from knowing nothing about the cloud to actually having written some code, deployed it to the cloud service and made a simple application available on the public Internet.

You will also get all the information you need to get up to speed with Windows Azure in a packaged and compressed form, ready for your consumption, without having to trawl through books, blogs and articles on your own.

There will be experienced people available to guide you through each exercise. Once you have the basics in place, you’ll be off and running.

The sessions are either morning or afternoon and are free please see agenda and link to registration below:-

Registration and Coffee

Windows Azure Introduction – architecture, roles, storage

First Lab: Hello World Windows Azure Web Role and deploying to your free Windows Azure subscription

Second Lab: Using Windows Azure Storage

Third Lab: Worker Role and how to use Windows Azure Storage to communicate between roles

Cloud Scenarios

If your considering the use of the cloud then there is nothing better to help develop your ideas or possibilities, case studies and scenarios are a great way to bring together a problem and a solution in context, while pulling together all the relevant guidance.

Here’s a quick tour of the scenarios that Microsoft Technet have so far …

Channel 9 is all about the conversation. Channel 9 should inspire Microsoft and our customers to talk in an honest and human voice. Channel 9 is not a marketing tool, not a PR tool, not a lead generation tool.

Be a human being. Channel 9 is a place for us to be ourselves, to share who we are, and for us to learn who our customers are.

Learn by listening. When our customers speak, learn from them. Don't get defensive, don't argue for the sake of argument. Listen and take what benefits you to heart.

Be smart. Think before you speak, there are some conversations which have no benefit other than to reinforce stereotypes or create negative situations.

Marketing has no place on Channel 9. When we spend money on Channel 9 the goal is to surprise and delight, not to promote or preach.

Don't shock the system. Lasting change only happens in baby steps.

Know when to turn the mic off. There are some topics which will only result in problems when you discuss them. This has nothing to do with censorship, but with working within the reality of the system that exists in our world today. You will not change anything by taking on legal or financial issues, you will only shock the system, spook the passengers, and create a negative situation.

Don't be a jerk. Nobody likes mean people.

Commit to the conversation. Don't stop listening just because you are busy. Don't stop participating because you don't agree with someone. Relationships are not built in a day, be in it for the long haul and we will all reap the benefits as an industry.

Where we came from

For the original story of where Channel 9 came from, don't miss the classic and inspirational The 9 Guys - Who We Are video. Then, check out this video to meet the current team!

The Microsoft IT Academy Programme is a comprehensive subscription based program that helps support ongoing technology education for a wide range of students, teachers, and faculty. The program features access to software licenses, E-Learning, official Microsoft course materials, and certifications. E-Learning and course materials range from computer basics to high-level programming, along with the chance to deploy Microsoft courses as learning aids in other (non-IT) subject areas.

Each academy receives a welcome pack including logo and posters and an invite to a live meeting which runs through all of the login and general programme procedures. Any questions or queries about the features of the program are dealt with by Microsoft Academy Service Partner or escalated to the Regional Service Centre.

Brandon Foy who created the viral Ad referenced below is currently an studying at a US .edu University. Brandon has been involved in the Microsoft community previously as a Microsoft internship student.

Brandon has developed it’s an exciting Ad and is a real Windows Phone fan. Brandon Ad has really inspired the Windows Phone community and inspired Microsoft, as a result Microsoft invited Brandon to show his Ad at the Microsoft Mix11 conference in Las Vegas this week.

With his "We Love Windows Phone" video. We want to thank him by jump starting his CV. So if the Ad gets 200k views on YouTube, Microsoft will air it on a US National ad spot!